Oni Press names BOOM! Studios veteran Hunter Gorinson as its new president and publisher

Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group has a new leader, and his name will be familiar to many inside the industry. Hunter Gorinson has been named president and publisher of the company effective immediately, with the responsibility to oversee all operations including editorial, marketing, and distribution.

In a statement, Gorinson said, "Oni is, without a doubt, one of the most groundbreaking and influential comic book publishers of our generation. It’s a true honor to lead the company at this pivotal moment in its history, and I look forward to working alongside our incredibly talented team and distinguished roster of creators to write a new chapter that will honor Oni’s legacy of advancing daring creative voices, stories, and ideas, while opening new opportunities to maximize the scope and impact of the Oni-Lion Forge library for readers of all ages in comic shops, bookstores, and beyond.”

Gorinson arrives at Oni-Lion Forge from BOOM! Studios, where he served as VP of Business Development; prior to that, he was simultaneously the publisher of Bad Idea as well as the SVP of brand & content strategy at production company Hivemind — the company behind The Witcher and Amazon’s The Expanse — and, before that, the VP of marketing & communications for Valiant Entertainment.

David Steward II, chairman of the Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group, added, “From our earliest conversations, it was clear that Hunter was the ideal leader to shape the future of the Oni-Lion Forge brand. With a deep understanding of both the art and business of comics, Hunter knows how to build collaborative environments that foster creativity between creators and colleagues alike, and shape content that will resonate with fans around the world. He has a robust vision for solidifying Oni–Lion Forge’s reach with creators, readers, and retailers in the direct and book markets, while simultaneously extending the wide breadth of our library even further with strategic partnerships that will showcase the best of Oni-Lion Forge, present and future.”

The new announcement ends a five-month period where Oni-Lion Forge was without a publisher following the removal of James Lucas Jones this summer, an event that launched a number of layoffs and departures from the company that expanded into October. It has been known that Oni-Lion Forge was actively looking for a new president and publisher. Recently, the company has started looking to hire new staff once again.

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